Gear Review
Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Sleeping Pad - Rectangular
Super Comforable. But not the warmest.
By Dylan Hyatt
Ranked #212 - Midweight Sleep Pads
April 14, 2008
24 ozs and 3 inches thick was what first caught my eye. Yes, this pad is about as comfortable as you can get in the backcountry. Not hard to blow up, and great to use with my BA Lost Ranger bag. Make sure you blow it up quite firm otherwise your body heat will leech into the ground. These are rated only to about 35 F, and that may be a stretch. Wasn't able to sleep due to cold on a 38 F morning. Still like to use it though and will bring along a light closed cell pad next time I'm expecting temps that low.
View Details: Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Sleeping Pad - Rectangular
Helpful Votes: 2 Yes
Tech Specs:
- Material:
- [shell] nylon (70D), PU coating; [insulation] PrimaLoft eco (50% recycled)
- Dimensions:
- [petite ] 66 x 20 x 2.5 in; [regular ] 72 x 20 x 2.5 in; [long ] 78 x 20 x 2.5 in; [wide long ] 78 x 25 2.5 in; [short ] 48 x 20 x 2.5 in
- Rolled Size:
- [petite] 5 x 9 in; [regular] 5 x 9 in; [long] 5.5 x 9 in; [wide long] 6 x 10 in; [short] 4 x 8 in
- R-Value:
- 4.1
- Weight:
- [petite] 22 oz; [regular] 24 oz; [long] 27 oz; [wide long] 40 oz; [short] 16 oz
- Recommended Use:
- chilly weather camping, backpacking
- Manufacturer Warranty:
- lifetime
Change me.
8 Comments Last Reply: November 14, 2011 By: kurtisk2055763
The some of the comments above hint that some writers are using the Air Core pad (rated to +35F) and some are using an INSULATED Air core pad (rated to +15F). I use and INSULATED pad with a +40F BA Yampa down bag and weather low 30s nights (frost and ice on the tent) with no problems using a merino base layer shirt, hiking pants, wool socks, and a Dome Perignon hat (the Yampa doesn't have a hood). I do tend to be a warm sleeper, but still getting several degrees below the rating remarkable and I attribute to the insulated pad. If you have a bag rated for anything below 40 or are a cold sleeper, get an insulated pad.
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
I took this pad for 1800 miles on the AT and had it down to 22 degrees without any trouble. After 130 nights sleeping on this thing it finally developed a slow leak, i was not easy on this thing and never used a tent footprint, cowboy'd several times with it. It's durable enough for a thruhike if you take a basic level of care with it. I'm a cold sleeper and i have no complaints about the primaloft in this thing, i'm betting if you're sleeping cold on this thing in 38 degrees it's your sleeping bag that's the culprit. blowing it up sucks, but after the great nights sleep you get with it, blowing it up is no problem whatsoever.
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
I've used this bag/pad combo (insulated Air core with Lost Ranger) over 50 nights, and I am usually fine with this pad down to about 20 degF, as long as I have a tent and tent footprint under me. That's assuming I'm also wearing something. I usually keep the pad pretty soft too (so my hips sink in when I'm on my side).
Helpful Votes: 1 Yes
I really like my Big Agnes sleeping bag but with no insulation in the bottom it is going to be a little cooler even with a insulated pad. I agree with the others, you will lose some warmth on your backside.
Helpful Votes: 2 Yes
Just tested this pad out at Sequoia where the overnight was likely in the mid 30's. I'm a cold sleeper and was using a jacks r better quilt loosely draped over me, so nothing but pad underneath. I was quite warm all night.
Helpful Votes: 1 Yes
I disagree with this line of comments, although only due to personal experience. I do not have an Air Core or for that matter any insulated sleeping pad. I have a cheap walmart, 3 section blow up pad. I slept comfortably with that below me in a BA bag at 25. The bag was rated to 20. I cant wait to afford on of these nice insulated pads, but I worry, will they be colder than my cheapy walmart one? You guys have me guessing, but one thing is for sure: I was not cold because there was no insulation in the bottom of a BA sleeping bag.
Helpful Votes: 1 Yes
I've spend many a cold morning trying to figure out why the Big Angus system wasn't warm. i think it has all to do with losing heat to the ground. A normal sleeping bag will only have a few compressed spots where the slightly cooler sleeping pad will steal warmth. With the BA bag, there is no insulation on the bottom, so you have a huge surface area of mildly cool pad that sucks heat out of the pad. As a result, you probably need double the pad insulation a regular bag would require.
Helpful Votes: 1 Yes
I have found that the pad is not the reason the temp rating feels off. It is the Big Agnes Sleeping Bag itself. I thought the pad was rated incorrectly too, that was until I replaced the BA bag with a conventional bag. I have used this pad in temps down into the teens without cold spots. I'm not saying the BA bag is bad, but the insulation on the bottom of a conventional bag, even when compressed, is better than no insulation at all.
Helpful Votes: 9 Yes